


Fall Through

by pawns (driftingstar)



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-29
Updated: 2017-06-20
Packaged: 2018-10-25 08:37:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10760631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/driftingstar/pseuds/pawns
Summary: History takes a different turn when Yuugo arrives at the scene where Rin is taken... just a few steps too late.Yuugo will do anything to get Rin back.  But his new friend seems to be taking up all his attention.  Meanwhile, the gears of fate continue to turn.Academia!Yuugo with a twist.  Implied Appleshipping. Eventual Pawnshipping.





	1. Wrong Turn

****  


**Wrong Turn**

 

Later on, had Yuuri cared to recall the details, he would have scoffed at how easy it had been.  For a top secret, high-priority mission that the professor had entrusted to him, it hadn't offered much in the way of a challenge.  Had he been anyone else, he might have seen it as an insult.

Kidnapping a random girl out of the slums in some other dimension isn't exactly what Yuuri thinks of as a good challenge.  Though her dueling was decent enough and kept him occupied for a good few hours, in the end it was his inevitable win.  The girl ran around and he chased her for a bit before he finally got bored and knocked her out.  The worst part was that the Professor had even gone out of his way to order that the girl not be harmed.  And definitely not turned into a card.

Of course, he had entertained doing it anyway but somehow, ‘sorry, my finger slipped’ probably wouldn’t have cut it.  And so, he prepared to head back with one of his shoulders burdened with the weight of an unconscious teenage girl.

Another mission under his belt, and another night of his boring existence over.

Or so he thought until he saw _him._

For the first time in his life, he was stunned speechless and the girl nearly slipped from his shoulder as he laid eyes on the boy who had come dashing around the corner, gasping and out of breath. Frozen, Yuuri watched from the shadows as a sense of wonder and fascination washed over him.

Why, he _recognized_ that face.  There’s no way he wouldn’t, considering it was the one that stared back at him from the mirror every morning.

The curve of his cheeks, the sharpness of his eyes, down to the tips of his nose.  Identical.  A perfect, cookie-cutter likeness that sent thrills down his spine. But there were just enough uncanny dissimilarities that kept him spellbound; blue eyes instead of violet, hair a different shade.  

And those _emotions_.

This familiar stranger, this other boy who had somehow _stolen_ his face was wearing it completely wrong.  He never even knew that he could twist his face into so many foreign expressions.  The lines of his face so warped that he could barely recognize himself.  Yuuri certainly had never looked so desperate, so scared, and hopeful all at once, nor would he be running around so pathetically.  Red-faced and out of breath with someone else’s name on his lips.

“Rin!   _RIN!_ ” his double was shouting down the alleyways, cupping his hands around his mouth with a volume that made even Yuuri wince.  He furrowed his brow in realization until he recognized it as the name of the girl he was tasked to capture.

Ah. Well, that made things a bit awkward.  

A scowl stole over Yuuri’s face as he half-heartedly glared at his burden and jostled the sleeping girl in a show of pettiness.  There was no good way to appear to him now and he had the suspicion that dumping his target on the ground to go after his twin would probably be very frowned upon.  

He sent the boy another longing glance before he disappeared in a flash of violet light.

 

* * *

  
  


Yuugo has long since lost track of how long he had been searching.  Hours, maybe even days.  Time blurred together in a swirling mess of worry and anxiety and he had started to count its passage in terms of how many times the sky grew too dark for him to continue looking.

No matter where he looked, the backstreets were empty and devoid of the girl he was so desperately searching for.  Silent; save for the thumping of his boots and the faded echoes of his own voice and the terrified concern that bubbled up with every wrong turn.

 _“I think someone's been following me_ ,” Rin had admitted in hushed tones, her eyes averted to the ground as a flush stole over her cheeks.  She never saw anyone, she had explained hastily when Yuugo had freaked out.  Only that her trips to the local market were accompanied by the ever-present sensation of being watched. How the back of her neck prickled as the air buzzed with an eerie, directionless intensity that she couldn't grasp.

Of course, they laughed it off.  Two orphans, jumping at shadows and spooked by their over-active imaginations.  It was ridiculous: no one would waste their time following a _Commons_ girl around. While a far cry from being a good neighbourhood, everyone in the area knew Rin and she was liked by all.  Even when they asked around, no one knew or saw anything out of place.  Or anyone.

That was until Rin never came back.

“Rin!” he cried out once more, his voice cracking and splintering from overuse.  “ _Rin_!”  

Once again, cold silence met his calls and the strength finally left his limbs and he collapsed heavily onto his knees with his shoulders trembling and his breath tumbling out in harsh, painful gasps.  

Lacking the will to drag himself back up, Yuugo drew his legs up to his chest and buried his dirty face in his knees.  Tiny tremors wracked his body and he had to bite his lips to keep the tears at bay.  He was exhausted and hungry and cold but the worst part was the gnawing emptiness that had taken residence in his chest.  

It was the lack of knowing that was killing him. Rin was _missing._ Gone without a trace, without even a hint or a whisper.  He didn't know if she just left, if she was okay, if she was just as scared and hurting as he was.  

If she was even still _alive_.

Someone should have seen something.  Heard something.  But everyone he spoke to, even their matron agreed it didn't look good.  Give up on her, they advised him with poorly concealed pity And disdain in their eyes.  People vanished all the time, spirited away in the middle of the night, dragged from their beds. She probably pissed off the wrong person or was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.  

Confronting Security only had him tossed out on his ass by a sneering guard.  Berating him for wasting their time.  It was then that Yuugo felt his status as a second class citizen more strongly than ever in his life.  

He couldn't go back to the orphanage after that.  Couldn't face the ghosts of his best friend that lingered on every surface; a mug left in the sink, a shopping list for parts pinned onto their workbench. All signs that she had every intention to come back. Rin was the only one he had.  Without her, nothing had any more meaning.  

A particularly biting gust wind cut through the protective fabric of his riding suit jacket and its icy claws penetrated deep into the marrow of his bones.  Yuugo curled up into himself tighter, in an utterly inadequate bid for warmth as he reflected on just how alone he was now.

He must have fallen into a doze because the next time he came to, he was bundled up something thick and warm and a stranger was leaning over him with a hand on his cheek. Yuugo let out a shocked scream and scrambled backward.  Or would have, if he hadn't inadvertently slammed their foreheads together in his haste to get away.  He clutched his head, whining as stars exploded across his vision and it took several seconds for him to recover enough to yell.

“Owww.  What the-- who the _hell_ \-- were you watching me sleep?!” Yuugo cycled through several aborted questions before deciding on the one that bothered him the most.

Yuugo could see a flash of violet as the stranger narrowed his eyes at him in a cutting glare. In that moment, Yuugo’s breath caught in his lungs and when he shivered again, it had nothing to do with the cold. There was something uncanny in the stranger's face.  Something sharp and reptilian, but at the same time, overpoweringly familiar.  Like a face in a dream or a spectre in the rain. Whichever the case may be, this boy was setting off all sorts of alarm bells.  

He flinched back when the stranger took a step forward, the clack of his heels echoing through the empty alleyway with a disturbing loudness.  Then, a slow, creeping smile curved across his face and those uncanny eyes seemed to glitter in the dark.

“Now,” he said in a low, smooth voice and Yuugo could detect a hint of amusement. “Is that any way to treat the person who saved you from freezing to death?”  

Whatever Yuugo had been expecting him to say, that certainly wasn't it.

“Saved?” he echoed in a voice that sounded skeptical even to his own ears. It was only after the stranger pointed this out that Yuugo realized just how much the temperature had dropped since he'd fallen asleep.  His fingers were raw and stiff from the cold and he was assaulted by pins and needles when he tried to bend them.  And sure enough, when he glanced down, there was a thick black travel cloak pooling in his lap.  His cheeks were lit up with a dull flush as his hands tightened unconsciously around the unexpectedly soft material.  Yuugo practically flung the cloak away from him as if it were on fire, but the stranger caught it with an ease that only added to his irritation. “I-- Nobody asked you to do anything!”

He scampered to his feet, only slightly wincing when his muscles screamed in protest in the awkward position he had been sleeping in.  Bizarre, was the only way he could describe his current situation. It was a fact; people in the Commons rarely ever go out of their way to help a stranger. Sure, there were kind people like the matron who took them in, but as a rule, one minded their own business and tried to go about their lives.  Was he supposed to simply _accept_ that this complete outsider, someone who was dressed in a fashion completely unlike anyone he has ever seen before, had found him passed out in some filthy alleyway and decided to help?  Even Yuugo wasn’t dumb enough to believe that.

He squared his shoulders defensively, eyeing the stranger carefully.  “Who are you? What do you want from me?”

“Really?” The stranger said with a laugh that almost reached his eyes.  It made his face look softer, kinder, but Yuugo’s guard was still far from down.  “You can stop being so suspicious, you know?  If I wanted to hurt you, don’t you think I would have done it while you were sleeping?  Relax.”

Yuugo did not relax. On the contrary, his shoulders tensed up further and his hand started to inch towards his duel disk.  There had to be some other angle, he reasoned.  Some other reason why someone like him was here, bothering with someone like _Yuugo_.  Could he be from TOPs?  His heart beat faster.

They all heard the whispers.  It wasn’t unheard of for Commons to go missing.  Picked up during the night by members of the bored elite ruling class, venturing down into the slums for a bit of fun.  Most of them were never seen again.  The ones who came back would never be the same.  

Yuugo’s throat tightened just thinking about it.  Could Rin have been taken?

Seeing his defensiveness, the stranger let out a sigh. “Oh, if you insist,” he said, reaching out to unstrap the unfamiliar-looking duel disk from his arm and set it on the ground next to him.  “See? No harm meant.  I'm Yuuri, by the way.”  

He inclined his head, staring at Yuugo expectantly until he caved.

“Yuugo…” he said, wariness and reluctance etched over his features.

“ _Yuugou?_ As in fusion? _”_ The stranger -- Yuuri repeated in an amused sort of astonishment that had Yuugo bristling.  

“It's not fusion, it's Yuugo!” He found the exclamation bursting out of him automatically and Yuuri let out a strangled laugh.

“Sorry, sorry,” he said with a grin that was a tad too wide to be entirely sincere.  “For a moment, I thought you were named after a summoning method.  Right then, _Yuugo-kun_.  What are you doing sleeping out here?”

Yuugo glared in response, feeling like he was being made fun of.  But he didn't see any real harm in answering.  He had done anything too suspicious.  So far.  “I was… looking for someone.  And you.  You still haven't answered my question!  What are _you_ doing here?  I've never seen you around before.  And I've never even heard of a fusion summoning method.”

It was suspicious to say the least. Everything about this Yuuri person was suspicious, from his weird clothes to his face.  There was a wrongness when Yuugo looked at him, an uncanniness that came from looking at something familiar only to find it unexpectedly different.  Like watching your own reflection blink.

“That's because I'm not from around here,” Yuuri said with a shrug, still grinning that far too knowing grin.  “You see, I'm from another dimension.”

“What.”  Yuugo stared at him, blankness settling over his features at the ludicrous claim.  Yuuri _looked_ normal enough; he had two eyes, five fingers on each hand, and no extra appendages like horns or tentacles.  He took a step back (just in case) and held out a palm. “Wait. Wait, so you're sayin’ … you're an alien?  A dueling alien?”

Yuuri raised an eyebrow. “A dueling alien?” he repeated in a slow, mocking way that had Yuugo reddening.  But instead of taking offense, the self-proclaimed dimension traveler threw his head back and laughed.  

Yuugo grew redder and redder when he showed no signs of stopping, hands balling into fists as he seriously thought about punching him in the mouth.  Luckily, Yuuri’s laughter eventually died down and this time his lingering smile was nearly friendly, if not oddly fond.

“If that makes it easier for you to understand, then yes, I am a ‘dueling alien’,” he said with a careless gesture.  “Rest assured, I come in peace and I have no interest in... probing you. I come from a place called Academia.  An elite dueling academy, as you can surmise from the name.”

Yuugo’s eyebrows shot up to his hairline.  “Right,” he said with his arms crossed, still very clearly skeptical. This Yuuri person was very clearly out of his mind. Or trying to scam him out of his kidneys. “So _why_ is an alien here in the slums?  Having an alien field trip?  Sightseeing on an alien summer vacation?”

The other boy let out a huff, rolling his eyes in an unexpectedly childish display.  “Oh, alright.  Maybe this will convince you.”  Ignoring how Yuugo tensed again, he pulled out his deck from his clothes and held up a card. Yuugo’s eyes widened in shock as he scrambled up closer to see it until his nose was almost touching.

It was a dragon.  A majestic dragon in hues of poisonous violet and electric blue veins in its skin and adorned brightly coloured orbs that looked almost like jewels.  A monster the like of which he'd never seen before.  But there was something undeniably familiar about it all the same.  Like suddenly finding a piece of a puzzle that suddenly slotted everything together.

 _Starve Venom Fusion Dragon_.  

A fusion monster.  Apparently, a product of a summoning method unknown to the world.  Surely if it existed in any form, it would have been all over the telly.  All of his early skepticism and wariness abruptly evaporated, replaced by the familiar call of his duelist’s blood.  The thrill of discovering a whole new realm of possibilities.

"He's… he's so cool!” Yuugo mumbled without meaning to, like the dragon-idiot that he was.  He didn't notice Yuuri’s flattered surprise, too enraptured in the card.  

“Satisfied?” Yuuri’s voice was laced with amusement as he started to take the card back and Yuugo involuntarily let out a whine because he had wanted to examine it a little more.  His eyes were shining at the thought of seeing it in its solid vision glory.

Starve Venom Fusion Dragon… Something about its name struck an odd chord like he's heard it somewhere before. Too similar to be a coincidence.

“Wait, wait,” he exclaimed, suddenly seized by a nervous excitement as he rummaged through his own deck to pull out his ace and feeling like he was on the verge of something.  “Isn't that kind of like my dragon?  See?  Clear Wing _Synchro_ Dragon!”

But then moment his beloved dragon left his deck, something like a shockwave rippled through his body.  His vision went white and he gasped, feeling like someone had punched him in the lungs. The card in his hand lit up, pulsing like it had a heartbeat of its own. Stunned and disoriented, he stared down at Clear Wing in bemusement.  Well.  That has never happened before.

“What the heck,” he stammered, reaching up to clutch at his chest as the phantom ache slowly ebbed away.  

Yuugo looked up to see Yuuri mirroring him and looking just as unnerved as he felt, with Starve Venom pulsing just as eerily.  For a moment, they stood still, studying the other in a strange sort of standoff until a broad grin suddenly split across Yuuri’s face.  

“You're an interesting one, aren't you!” He exclaimed, his face coming alive and animated like Yuugo had never seen it before.  His eyes were fever bright with an almost manic sort of excitement.  Yuuri suddenly stepped forward, insinuating himself into his personal space as he grasped Yuugo’s hands. “You felt it too, didn't you?” he pressed on, ignoring the way Yuugo stiffened.  “Our dragons are resonating!”

As weirded out as Yuugo was getting, he couldn't help but agree.  For that one moment, beyond the pain, there was an undeniable sense of connection.  Some kind of strange awareness.  Of need. But the moment they touched, the pulsing stopped and warmth flooded into his chest. The strange glow slowly faded away, leaving everything as it was.

Except that they were still holding hands.

Yelping, Yuugo yanked himself away, scampering backward, clutching his dragon protectively to his chest as his cheeks turned a deep, embarrassed red.  “What, what the heck was that?” he shrieked. “Did you do something with your weird… weird alien tech?!” He was dimly aware that he might have been panicking just a little but he would be way weirder if he didn't panic over something like that.  Sure, sometimes he thought he could hear Clear Wing speak to him.  And yeah, maybe it wasn't normal that he would speak back. But this was _beyond_ weird. The world might be going crazy but there should always be nuggets of common truths: cards weren't supposed to glow outside of solid vision, they definitely don't _resonate_ with other cards, and the strangers you meet in dark alleys probably want your kidneys.

Yuuri’s bottom lip jutted out what was clearly a pout, but there was still something in his gaze that made Yuugo wary.   He threw his hands up in a careless shrug.  “I'm just as surprised as you are, honest.”

“Really?” he shot back, carefully tucking Clear Wing away before anything weirder can happen. “I find it hard to believe you _don't_ know what's going on!”   Although every bit of common sense he had was yelling that Yuuri was completely suspicious and probably out of his mind, bizarrely enough, Yuugo actually did believe him.  It was more of a gut feeling than anything else, but something told him that Yuuri wasn't lying.  At least, not about being surprised.  If he were smarter, he would have probably run in the opposite direction.  Nothing good ever came out of meeting mysterious boys with dubious origin stories.  Yuugo has read enough manga to worry about where this was going.

“You flatter me too much,” Yuuri sighed, running a hand through his bangs.  “But before we dig any further, why don't we get out of the cold? I can hear your teeth rattling from here.”

Now that Yuuri had pointed it out, Yuugo was suddenly aware of just how cold it was, without the added protection of Yuuri’s cloak.  His fingers were all but frozen and his breaths were coming out as puffs of white mist.  But to be fair, Yuugo was very distractible and Yuuri’s very existence had been thoroughly distracting.  “In case you hadn't noticed,” Yuugo retorted dryly. Self-consciously, he unclenched his jaw so the chattering wasn't as obvious.  “There isn't exactly anywhere for us to go!  We're in the Slums, you know.”

Yuuri pulled his arms back into a stretch, sighing slightly as he bent back over to retrieve his duel disk now that Yuugo didn't look like he was about to bolt.  “I know a place,” he said, the corners of his lips curling into a sly grin as he held out a hand to him.  “It won't take very long to get there at all.  Well, what do you say, Yuugo?  I think you could use a shower and some hot food.”

As if on cue, Yuugo’s stomach growled mournfully.  His face flushed, what little of his remaining body heat escaping through his cheeks.  Just the _thought_ of a warm meal was enough to make him cave.  

Then he remembered the reason why he was out here in the first place.  “No,” he found himself saying, the pit of his stomach sinking. “I can't.  I have to find… I have to find Rin.  I have to make sure she's safe.”  As much as the mysteries of resonating dragons, other dimensions, and Yuuri himself intrigued him, nothing was more important now than bringing Rin home.  He had wasted enough time already.  Who knows what could have happened to her.  Could still be happening to her?

“I gotta go,” he mumbled, his overactive imagination supplying him with horrible scenario after horrible scenario.  But before he could even take a step, Yuuri stepped forward to block him, casually insinuating himself between Yuugo and the exit.  

“You’ll catch your death out here,” Yuuri’s voice was oddly gentle for a change but that didn't make Yuugo any less frustrated. “You're clearly exhausted.  And filthy.”  Yuuri wrinkled his nose. “Surely, you're no good to your friend if you kill yourself looking for her?”

Yuugo scowled up at him, bristling again at the insult.  “I don't look for her, no one else will! I can't just sit around if she might be in trouble!”

“Well, you're hardly going to find her like this.  Do you even know where she is? All you're going to be doing is running around like a headless chicken.  She could be miles away.”  Yuuri lowered his voice into something sly and conspiring.  “Or maybe, she just got sick of all… this, and left for greener pastures?”

“Rin… Rin wouldn't leave without saying anything!”  Yuugo growled, furious on her behalf.  “She's not that kind of person!  She was worried! She said someone was following her!”

“Be that as it may,” Yuuri said, not unlike a scolding parent as he stepped closer with his hands on his hips.  “You have no idea where to look, do you?  Do you really think you're going to find her by running around and yelling her name?”

“What? N-No, of course I don't think that,” Yuugo protested, even though that had been exactly what he had been doing.  But he could feel his resolve weakening further as another shiver wracked his body.

“Come with me,” Yuuri coaxed, once more holding out a hand.  “One more night wouldn't hurt.”

Yuugo stilled with indecision, biting his lips as he looked from the veiled eagerness in Yuuri’s face to his outstretched fingers.  

“Why?” he asked, wariness winning over.  What was it that Martha had said? Be suspicious of strangers who speak pretty words?  There was always a catch somewhere.   “Why would you offer to let a stranger stay with you?”

“What kind of horrible human being would I be if I let someone freeze to death in front of me?” Yuuri replied with a question as he stepped closer until they were nearly face to face.  “And besides… I think you're interesting.  I want to talk to you more, Yuugo.”

The intensity in Yuuri’s eyes made Yuugo look away, a red flush creeping up his neck for some dumb reason.  Yuuri was standing too close.  “I got it, I got it.  Just this once, okay?” he said hastily, reaching out to take the offered have before he could read too much into it. “Where is this place of yours anyway?”

The smile that stretched across Yuuri’s face eerily triumphant.

 

“You'll see,” he said, something in his tone setting off alarm bells.  But before Yuugo even had time to react, his vision was suddenly flooded with violet light.

  



	2. First Stop

Yuugo yelped, lurching forward, but a pair of warm, steady hands gripped his shoulders and stopped him from face-planting into the floor.

 

Wait, floor? 

 

Yuugo jolted up, eyes wide as he looked past Yuuri’s smug face into the room they had suddenly appeared in.  A bedroom, decorated with fancy violet drapes and big enough to fit five of his garages in. It looked like it belonged to some rich TOPs bastard. 

“Wha-- what the-- but we--  _ what?! _ ”  He sputtered, turning in place like a dog chasing his tail as he tried to take it all in, waving his hands through the air as if he expected the mirage to dissolve.  “What… what did you do?  There was that light thing and… is this solid vision?!” 

 

Throughout all of it, Yuuri watched him with amused patience, moving backward to perch himself more comfortably on a chair.  

 

“I don't know, does it feel like solid vision?” His tone is just shy of mocking as he curled a hand under his chin and looking far too entertained for Yuugo’s liking.

 

He glared at him suspiciously, crossing his arms to avoid touching anything. But he had to concede that it didn't.  It was warm; he could feel the heat licking at him from the fireplace and smell the faint hint of lavender from the scented candles on the mantle.  Solid vision could simulate a lot of things, like sight, touch, even sound but it hadn't progressed to mimicking something this subtle.  And who ever heard of a field spell that recreated a fancy ponce’s bedroom? 

 

Which could only mean that they had been moved. Somehow.  

 

“Is this an alien abduction?” he blurted out. 

 

“ _ Pfft _ .” Yuuri clamped a hand over his mouth but Yuugo could see his shoulders shaking with mirth. This time he didn't even bother to hide the fact that he was mocking him.  “Do you feel abducted? I clearly invited you into my home and you accepted. Remember?”  He held out his hand again in an echo of the earlier gesture.  

 

“You  _ live _ here?” Yuugo gaped, looking around again.  “I mean, it's so… Uh, purple?” 

 

“I happen to like purple,” Yuuri said breezily, pushing himself up to his feet.  “Now, first things first: let’s get you out of those awful rags.” 

 

“I happen to  _ like _ my clothes,” Yuugo mimicked his tone in a mutinous echo. “No thanks, I'm fine like this.”

 

“Clothes.  Is that what you call… that?” Yuuri asked dryly, his judging magenta eyes roving over his riding suit before moving… down.  Yuugo suddenly had an urge to cross his legs but instead settled for glaring in affront.  “Well, either way, I promised you a bath.  So. Strip!” 

 

Yuugo paused.  Then he jolted up like he'd been electrified when Yuuri smiled expectantly.  “You want me to  _ what _ ?!” 

 

“Strip,” he said with cheerful menace.  “There's a bath waiting in the other room and the sooner you get undressed, the sooner you can get rid of all that grime. Or do you need help? I can't imagine it's easy to get in and out of that… thing.” 

 

“What--  _ No, _ I don't need any ‘help’!” Yuugo hurriedly went to shrug off his jacket, alarmed at the idea of a stranger ‘helping’ to undress him.  Yuuri, who was watching him with a little too much interest, waited until he had unzipped his suit down to his waist before he decided to speak up.

 

“I didn't say you had to do that here.  You can use the bathroom if you wanted privacy,” he said, jabbing a lazy finger over towards the door.  Yuugo gaped at him, torn between outrage and embarrassment. 

 

“And you couldn't say that before?!” He groused, pulling the suit back over his torso out of spite as he stomped over to the door, shooting Yuuri an offended glare as he went.  For someone who was being so… hospitable, he was really being a jerk about it!  Yuugo had never felt this particular mixture of irritated gratitude before. 

 

Huffing, he closed the door behind him and took a few more seconds to gawk at the nicest bathroom he had ever seen.  Yuuri somehow had an entire tub to himself; wide enough to stretch out in fully.  It was already filled with water with faint wisps of white steam wafting up from its surface and Yuugo found the tension already bleeding from his body at just the sight of it.  Suddenly, he couldn't wait to get in.  Feeling a bit like a bull in a china shop, Yuugo awkwardly shrugged off the rest of his riding gear a little too quickly and had to detangle his legs.  The crumpled suit looked really out of place against the pristine ceramic tiles so Yuugo made an awkward attempt to fold it and lined his boots up next to it.

 

With that taken care of, he turned his attention to the bath, scooping a hand along the surface and finding it the perfect temperature. He doesn't hesitate to climb in.  Sinking into the water, he couldn't stop the delighted moan from spilling from his lips as the welcome heat washed over his body and soothed away the ache in his muscles.  Sighing happily, his eyes fluttered shut as he melted against the side of the tub as the warm water lapped at his skin.  Suddenly, it felt as if all his troubles were worlds away.

 

Well, technically  _ he _ was the one that was a world away.  Different dimensions and resonating dragons… the whole situation was surreal at best.  Yuugo’s eyelids grew heavier and heavier and he must have dozed since the next thing he knew, the water was lukewarm and Yuuri was standing over him and smirking.

 

Yuugo shrieked and lurched backward, sending up a spray of water as he did so.  “Wha-- what the hell--” 

 

“Your change of clothes are over there,” Yuuri replied, waving absently at one of the shelves.  “Just checking to see if you've drowned yourself.  It would be such a hassle to clean a waterlogged corpse out of my bath. And there's shampoo and soap in the dispensers, by the way.”

 

Yuugo coloured and hunched down protectively over his... parts and continued to glare. “I was getting to that!  You can't just... you don't... I'm fine!  I'm not an idiot!” 

 

“Then I'll leave you to it.  Unless you want me to help wash your back?”  Yuuri laughed mockingly at the horrified look on his face before sauntering out again, leaving Yuugo blowing resentful bubbles in the lukewarm water as he tried to hide the embarrassment on his face. 

 

He cleaned himself quickly, picking one of Yuuri’s flower-scented soaps at random and rubbing the dirt and grime off his body with prejudice.  By the time he finished, the water had turned cool and getting out of it was a relief.  He was pleasantly surprised to find that his strangely smug host had also left slippers and a large, fluffy towel out for him.

 

Yuugo nearly panicked when his discarded riding suit was nowhere in sight but the sight of his deck on the counter quickly calmed him.  The change of clothes turned out to be a dark turtleneck, dark pants, dark boots, and a short blue jacket with distinctive white lapels. Yuugo gingerly removed them from the shelf and caught a faint whiff of lavender which made his nose wrinkle.  But they looked normal enough, so he pulled it on. 

 

Yuugo wiped a hand over the foggy mirror and eyed his reflection cautiously.  He could hardly recognize himself in such dark clothes.  

 

But at least it wasn’t purple.

 

He squashed down the discomfort from wearing someone else’s clothes and pushed open the door and the mouthwatering scent of freshly baked pastries and savoury meat filled the air. Yuugo spent a full five seconds gawking at the cart piled high with hot, steaming food as his stomach rumbled to remind him how hungry he was.

 

“There you are.  Hot food, as promised,” Yuuri greeted him with another self-satisfied smile as he waved him over to the table.  “My old uniform suits you.”  

 

Yuugo tugged at his collar and resisted the urge to fiddle with his cuffs. “Your old uniform?” he parroted as he awkwardly sunk into a chair opposite his host.  “Um. Is that for me?” 

 

“No, I invited you into my hearth and home, just so I can have the pleasure eating in front of you,” Yuuri said with what Yuugo was beginning to learn was his usual sarcasm. “Don't hold back.” 

 

Yuugo couldn't even if he wanted to.  Before the last syllable left his mouth, Yuugo was already diving into the spread.  Immediately, his mouth was overloaded from a festival of tastes and textures that he had never dreamt of experiencing; soft, buttery potatoes that melted in his mouth, savoury salmon grilled to perfection.  Whatever self-control he had left vanished; all he could focus on was shoveling delicious morsel after morsel into his mouth like he was afraid Yuuri might change his mind.  But rather than be put off from his poor table manners, Yuuri watched him eat with a smile and another unreadable glint in his eyes.  A stare that somehow seemed hungrier than Yuugo’s, even though he hadn't touched a single bite of food.  

 

He paused, chewing hard and swallowing his mouthful.  “Hey, this isn't like Hansel or anything, right?” 

 

Yuuri clapped a hand over his mouth and angled it away, but the shaking of his shoulders told Yuugo he was laughing at him again.  After a beat, Yuuri shook his head in amazement.  “You’re really full of surprises, aren't you? There's no predicting what kind of ridiculousness will come out of your mouth next.  And no, I have no plans for fattening you up just to  _ eat _ you. Pft.” 

 

Yuugo shot him a dirty look but didn’t retort since his mouth was stuffed again.  The glare was halfhearted at best, considering he was technically being a gracious host.  Offering him food and shelter out of the goodness of his heart, or something.  He still didn't buy it for a second.  Yuuri wanted something.  They always wanted something.  Though, for the life of him, he couldn’t imagine what Yuuri thought he could get out of him.  But there was no point in worrying about that now.

 

Yuugo finished his meal in record time, demolishing the entire cart without leaving a crumb.  He leaned back with a happy sigh, relaxing despite his reservations.  

 

“Satisfied?” Yuuri asked, propping his chin on his hand and looking oddly pleased but Yuugo was too busy basking in the fullness in his belly to think too much on it. He could only manage a nod, drowsiness settling over his limbs like a warm cloak as he leaned back in his chair.  Already, his eyelids were beginning to droop as the tension leaves his body. 

 

“... Thank you.  For the food.  And the bath,” Yuugo said in an odd mix of gratitude and reluctance. Whatever ulterior motive Yuuri might have had, he had opened his home to him and shown him kindness, which was more than Yuugo could have expected from a stranger.  

 

Yuuri’s enigmatic smile widened.  “So you  _ are _ capable of manners.  How fascinating, for a street rat.” 

 

And with that, all the warm, positive feelings that Yuugo was developing for him abruptly fled him.  “I take it back,” he said, an eye twitching. “Why did you bring me here if you're just going make fun of me?”

 

“Why does anyone do anything? You looked like you needed a hand so I reached out. And I was bored and you looked like you would be fun to play with.”  

 

Yuugo scowled slightly and thought Yuuri really should have left that last part off if he was trying to sell his Good Samaritan story.  “Other people aren't toys,” he muttered but he ended up interrupting himself with a yawn. He was too comfortable to feel any offence.

 

Seeing his fatigue, Yuuri rose from his seat, ever the picture of grace with his fluid motions.   “Come,” he beckoned lazily. “If you're going to fall asleep on me, you might as well do it in a bed.” 

 

Yuugo groaned and peeled his drooped eyelids back open as he staggered out of his chair.  He must have been far more tired than he realized.  His limbs responded sluggishly and it felt like an age before he made it across the room.  He probably should have questioned that there was only one bed but before he could think to voice it, he was already tucked into the soft, downy sheets that made him feel like he was sleeping in a bed of clouds.

 

The entire experience had been surreal.  Within a blink of an eye everything had changed: he had lost Rin, met Yuuri and now he was spending the night in another dimension.  But the covers were so wonderfully warm.  It didn't take very long for him to slip into slumber to the sound of Yuuri’s strangely reassuring breaths. 

 

Yuuri watched the steady rise and fall of Yuugo’s chest as his breathing evened out in slumber.  He had spent several hours just watching that face in the cold, filthy streets in the Synchro dimension, amusing himself with imagining what kind of life his other had led.  His paler counterpart’s face had been tense even in sleep; brows furrowed and teeth gritted as his troubled dream continued to plague him.  There was a strange sort of still beauty about him, with his tangled and matted hair and drying tear tracks on his face.  

 

But there was nothing still or tranquil about Yuugo.  He was constantly in motion. Vibrating with restless energy, fidgeting with his hands, every minutia of his thoughts flitted across his face with stunning clarity.  Yuuri drank it all in.  Anger, worry, annoyance, emotion after emotion flashing in dizzying succession, all laid bare for him to behold.  

And beyond all expectations, Yuuri had been thanked for the first time in his life.  There had been a warmth in Yuugo’s eyes that did strange things to Yuuri’s chest.  A softening of those sky blue eyes, a quirk of the mouth that could have been a smile if Yuuri hadn't put a stop to it.

 

Yuuri had thought that his fascination would have waned but after meeting Yuugo, speaking with him, having his trusting form lying so defenselessly next to him, Yuuri was more enthralled than ever.

 

Doppelganger _.  _ Yuuri could vaguely remember an old storybook that he had once picked up on a whim.  A haunting tale of a sinister, mirrored double; of two supernatural existences that must never meet. To the child he had been, shut away from the outside world with no one to interact with, it had been the ultimate allure. 

 

Of course, there were far more likely explanations.  A long-lost twin or a freak of genetics, with nature running out of its genome sequences.  Or, if one was into creationism, intelligent design was slacking off.  

 

Something told Yuuri that this was neither.  Something about this other boy  _ called  _ to him and the dark whispers in his heart grew loud and restless.  His ears were soon filled with the pulsing of his own heart as his quickened breath misted the air.  His blood felt hot, too thick for his veins as adrenaline pumps through his body. His fingers itched, twitching with yearning to reach out and  _ touch _ .  

 

But he held himself back, leaning forward over Yuugo’s slumbering form to press a brief, chaste kiss to his cheek.

 

“Good night, Yuugo,” he whispered. “I'm sure you'll be very happy here.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I trust Yuuri.

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, yes, I know I have a million other WIPs;;;


End file.
